Movies
Kicking Up Change as Rajasthan’s Girls Score Big in Pocket FM Story
MUMBAI: They didn’t wait for the world to hand them a playground, they built their own field of dreams. As the world gears up to celebrate the International Day of the Girl Child, audio series platform Pocket FM is shining the spotlight on Rajasthan’s young footballers who are rewriting the rules of courage, one goal at a time.
The latest chapter of Pocket FM’s acclaimed brand series, Sound of Courage, tells the stirring story of girls from rural Rajasthan who quite literally kicked their way through patriarchy. Created in collaboration with the Mahila Jan Adhikar Samiti (MJAS), the short film captures how a few determined girls turned a barren patch of land into their football ground and in doing so, reclaimed their right to freedom, expression, and dreams.
For generations, their mothers and grandmothers had known a world limited by early marriage, household chores, and little to no education. Football, for them, wasn’t just a game, it was rebellion dressed in cleats. What began as a handful of girls dribbling against social constraints soon evolved into a local movement that got the entire community cheering.
“Football gave us permission to dream,” says 17-year-old Maina Choudhary, one of the young players featured in the film. “When we play, nobody tells us who we can or cannot be.”
The results of this small revolution have been nothing short of extraordinary. There’s been a visible drop in child marriages, more girls continuing their education, and parents who once disapproved now cheering from the sidelines. A few players have even gone on to represent their district at the state level proof that empowerment can start with something as simple as a football.
“In today’s world, it’s easy to get lost in the noise,” said Pocket Entertainment SVP for brands Vineet Singh. “With Sound of Courage, we want to bring forward unique and unheard stories across the world that lift our spirits and remind us what courage truly looks like. The story of these Rajasthan girls reminds us that real change begins quietly when people are given a voice, a chance, and the space to dream.”
This Rajasthan chapter follows Sound of Courage’s earlier feature on India’s Women’s Ice Hockey Team, expanding the campaign’s narrative from national-level heroes to grassroots changemakers. Both stories stand as testament to Pocket FM’s belief that courage doesn’t always roar sometimes, it takes the shape of a quiet kick on dusty ground.
Conceptualised by Pocket Entertainment’s in-house creative team and produced with Colonial Films, the film is as visually stirring as it is emotionally grounded. It paints courage not as a grand declaration but as a daily act of girls who refused to be told what they couldn’t do, and in the process, taught an entire community what they could.
From a rough patch of land to a field of hope, Rajasthan’s football girls have shown that dreams don’t just need wings sometimes, all they need is a good pair of boots.
Hollywood
Disney sells out ad slots for 98th Oscars broadcast
Strong demand for live events turns the Academy Awards into a global, multi-platform marketing moment
NEW YORK: Hollywood’s biggest night has also become one of advertising’s hottest tickets. Disney has sold out all advertising inventory for the 98th Oscars, underscoring the growing demand from brands eager to ride the cultural wave of major live events.
The sell-out marks the sixth consecutive live tentpole success for Disney Advertising. The streak includes last year’s 97th Oscars, the 59th Annual CMA Awards, and Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest, signalling strong appetite among marketers for moments that bring audiences together in real time.
For advertisers, the Oscars are no longer just a single night of glitz and gold statues. Disney’s “Content Everywhere” strategy has expanded the awards show into a sprawling, multi-platform brand playground spanning linear television, streaming, social media and digital content.
“Live continues to be one of the most powerful ways for brands to connect with engaged audiences at scale, and the Oscars represent the very best of culture, creativity and community,” said Disney Advertising SVP, entertainment and streaming solutions John Campbell. He added that the company has reshaped the show’s commercial potential into a connected experience that stretches well beyond the broadcast.
Brands such as Mazda, Pfizer and Volkswagen of America are tapping into Disney’s wider ecosystem, appearing across original content segments including Know Your Movies on Hulu and Critically Acclaimed on Disney+. Partnerships also extend to social media through TikTok Pulse Premiere and to custom brand storytelling created by Disney CreativeWorks.
The result is what Disney calls the “Oscars Everywhere” approach. Rather than a few high-profile ad breaks, advertisers now find themselves woven through a series of moments before, during and after the ceremony.
These include On The Red Carpet at The Oscars, a live pre-show syndicated across major local markets and streamed nationwide, and the After the Oscars Show, which keeps the conversation going once the final award has been handed out.
This year’s sponsors include Rolex, returning for its ninth year, and Burger King, which joins the Oscars advertiser roster for the first time. Other brands in the mix include Disney Cruise Line, Dunkin’, Eli Lilly and Company, Eucerin, Intuit TurboTax, L’Oréal, McDonald’s, Microsoft, Miebo, Paris Baguette, Peacock, Starbucks, State Farm, Toyota and Verizon.
The 98th Oscars will take place on March 15, 2026, at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood. The ceremony will be broadcast live on ABC and streamed on Hulu, reaching audiences in more than 200 territories worldwide.
